New to saltwater tanks need advice

[Hardesty2]

Hey y'all! I am getting ready to start a 20 gallon saltwater tank and i'm not sure if i should start with coral or fish. I've been hearing mixed opinions about if i should begin with some hardy fish like a pair of clownfish, or some soft corals. (I will only be using soft corals in this tank). This is my first run with a saltwater tank but i'm super excited about it!! Any advice is appreciated, thank you all!

 

[Nano_Man]

Live rock
Bare bottom tank
Let it cycle properly
Add couple of cuc Turbo snails hermits
Wait wait a week find a fish you have done research on in a 20 pick what will get on with each other or you may regret it later on
Introduce the fish properly float and drip for both qt and display tanks
Don’t rush things
When you get corals start with softies
Don’t over stock your tank
Buy good quality test kits you can trust
Salfert or Hannah my choice
Keep things simple and don’t over complicate things
Buy a good salinity tester
Instant ocean will kick you off at the beginning I’ve used it since the nineties
Adding stock do it slowly so the bio load bacteria can keep up with what going in your tank too fast bang ammonia bang dead fish
Hope this helps a little bit you have your life time of learning in this hobby

 

[Gumbies R Us]

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[DDenny]

Welcome to reef2reef. You have come to the right place to ask questions.

 

[aciak]

When I got started two years ago I found that starting with a little automation helped too- an ATO. I initially didn’t start with one and felt it was a god send once I got one. Saved me the stress and work of having to top off with RODI because of evaporation. Oh, and a little insurance too- second heating element hooked up to my inkbird controller. I had the first one I bought fail and having a second one saved the tank.

 

[Dan_P]

Hey y'all! I am getting ready to start a 20 gallon saltwater tank and i'm not sure if i should start with coral or fish. I've been hearing mixed opinions about if i should begin with some hardy fish like a pair of clownfish, or some soft corals. (I will only be using soft corals in this tank). This is my first run with a saltwater tank but i'm super excited about it!! Any advice is appreciated, thank you all!

Welcome!

The first saltwater aquarium can be fun and exciting. It is much more complex than pet shop owners and experienced aquarist let on, but it is not impossible to be successful. New aquarist probably fail most by not knowing what they are doing. Lots of dumb mistakes are made. New aquarists tend to be over confident in their abilities. Maybe they saw a YouTube video or read an internet article on starting an aquarium. These are even less informative than “Dummies” guide books, being more confidence boosters than serving to educate. While you can obtain valuable information on Reef2Reef, it can sometimes be served with a dash of confusion. This hobby abounds with opinions and misconceptions.

Get as smart as you can before buying anything. Find some books on the subject and read a couple. This not only gives you valuable information but also will help you ask better questions when you post here.

Looking forwards to your new tank build thread.

Good luck and Happy Reefing!

Dan

 

[Dom]

Your primary goal in the saltwater hobby is stability. Fluctuations in chemistry happen, but minimizing those fluctuations as much as possible is important. This is why larger tanks are better for beginners as fluctuations in chemistry are much more subtle in larger tanks.

As I've come to understand it, salinity is the foundation on which your chemistry rests. Keeping salinity stable will go a long way in helping you to succeed. It is important to understand: water evaporates, not salt. As water evaporates from your tank, salinity goes up. And when you add water to the tank, salinity goes down.

For this reason, Automatic Top Off, commonly referred to as "ATO" is a great way to top off your tank in real-time around the clock, giving you the greatest stability in salinity.